KFGO Chief Meteorologist Tom Szymanski
FARGO, N.D. (KFGO) – Very little has changed in my thinking since yesterday as everything seems to be panning out pretty much as expected. The main difference is that it has slowed down by about 4-6 hours.
Heavy snow and blowing snow continues to move northward through South Dakota and far southern North Dakota and will continue as such today. Right now roads are either closed or travel is not advised in western and central South Dakota.
Travel is not advised across a large portion of western and central North Dakota and very slippery roadways are reported in central and southern Minnesota. Snow rates and coverage will increase through the day. Winter Storm Warnings (pink); Weather Advisories (purple) and Blizzard Warnings (red, orange or whatever the heck you want to call it) have this well covered.
My snowfall expectation is that nearly all of us will get at least 5-6″ and many will also get over a foot depending on where strong banding sets up. For Fargo – Moorhead I’m looking at 8-13″ with both higher and lower amounts possible in any locale. I would NOT be surprised to hear of 14″+ amounts in some places bearing in mind that blowing snow may make for some difficult measuring in some spots.
It’s important to note that the precise number of inches is not the issue here, but rather, that travel through at least Sunday morning will be EXTREMELY TREACHEROUS if not IMPOSSIBLE due to ICE, SNOW, BLOWING SNOW or any combination of those.
